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Emilio Ventura
"I am Emilio Ventura, the Greatest Pirate on the Shattered Sea!" Emilio Ventura is a legendary hero of the ages. He is the slayer of Ulgard Greenblood, consort to the Lady of the Mists, one of the founders of The Pirate Union, and the Council of Stormharbour, primary ambassador of both those nations, and captain of ''El Espiritu''. He aided the Saviours in their fight against Zaikerik the Betrayer in 20.18, and, along with Ayla Vanderstone, saved the Shrouded Continent, and brought back the ancient Vexii Empire. He is also one of the few people to visit the Wandering Isle, and to meet multiple Eternity Constructs. Despite these achievements, Emilio had an unimpressive start. Born on Ravello to the cider-brewing Ventura family, he decided a life of brewing cider wasn't for him, and decided to become a pirate. He absconded with all his possessions, travelled down to Porta Maretta, hired a small crew and bought El Espiritu. Physical Description While alive, Emilio Ventura was an olive-skinned man standing at around 5"8 with curly brown hair and green eyes. Initially clean-shaven, his life on the seas soon developed a light but scraggly moustache and goatee which he kept to make himself look rougher. At the start of Shattered Seas, he was slightly pudgy but soon became a lean and fit sailor. After his death in Zul'Garab and his return as a Zi'Mor, Emilio grew to 6"1 and gained more muscle as a result of the empowering waters in Tuularab. His eyes changed to a piercing but bright blue and both his skin and hair greyed. Emilio's choice of outfit as Captain of El Espiritu was a good brown coat, white shirt, beige trousers and fairly good boots and a suitably impressive hat. After shipwrecking on Na'Souri, the hat was lost and his coat was ruined. He was later given the opportunity to replace it with a good quality red coat with gold trim, though he was unable to replace his lost hat with one of good quality until after officially joining the Wandering Isle. During Shattered Skies his outfit changed to reflect his new status as Pirate Arbiter. He donned a long and dramatic black coat with silver trim and a pirate hat as impressive as it was huge, with a great white and black feather sticking out of it. Furthermore, he wore the sash that designated him as Pirate Arbiter, and proudly wore a symbol of the Lady of the Mists to display his reverence and connection with his goddess and girlfriend. Personality Emilio Ventura was a highly proud man, and was unafraid of showing it. He was loud and boisterous, and would take any opportunity to proclaim his greatness. At the start of Shattered Seas, he had a highly inflated opinion of himself which did not match up to anything he had achieved in life as a middle-class heir to the Ventura Cider business. He disregarded the achievements of his crew and partners, taking credit for their successes and blaming them for his failures. He was occasionally mean-spirited, holding grudges and often speaking acidly to people who he felt wronged him and his sense of entitlement. During his time on Antonio Venceslas' crew these worse habits of his personality were soundly wrung out of him as he came face-to-face with his own powerlessness. However, these events did inspire a dogged determination in Emilio which would serve him well for the rest of his life. This also had the effect of developing a sense of true humility behind the boasts and projected confidence. Emilio's pride was balanced by a realisation that he is not all that important in the grand scheme of things, he was not individually that strong and that others have just as much value as him. Making friends with Vanessa Fang and her crew also developed him emotionally, as he fell in love and found a set of true companions for the first time in his life. Having the care of Lucas Fang thrust into his hands after the return of Greenblood fostered a paternal instinct in him. Vanessa also inspired him to fight for more than himself, and made him confront the evils of the corrupt Calamaran society that made him into the man he was at the start of his adventures. By Shattered Skies, behind all the bluster, Emilio Ventura was a caring and empathetic man. He tried to avoid pointless violence, but was willing to kill the corrupt to make a better society. Battling against Sebastien Canarro forced him to think a bit harder about what he was fighting for, and the methods he wanted to use. He left the Shrouded Continent as more of a statesman, and gave him a definite purpose to his life: He would depose the Emperor of Calamar, see to its rebirth as something better, and finally return to the Shrouded Continent to help lead the new society that he helped create. Emilio never lost that loud part of his personality, but rather than always being overbearing he uses his voice to raise others up. He does his best to inspire his comrades to keep going the same way he did, and tries to make people laugh. When there is not an immediate crisis he needs to deal with, Emilio is easygoing and jovial. He often makes himself appear foolish, but this is deliberate. Many are quick to dismiss him because of his antics, but it is a fool that does not recognise that behind the apparent silliness is an indomitable will and an intelligence greater than he lets on. Background Emilio Ventura was born on Ravello, to a well-off family famous for running the Ventura Cider Brewery Company. His father's name was Rafaello Ventura, and his mother's was Adia Ventura. He had an older brother, Francesco (Two years his senior) and a younger brother, Bartolomeo (four years his junior). As the middle child, Emilio was given the least attention of his siblings, and grew distant rather than envious, and developed his larger-than-life personality in an attempt to distinguish himself. He made himself the heart and soul of the group where he could, so that nobody could help but pay attention to him. As he grew older, he started to notice that certain aspects of Calamaran society were quite unfair. Slavery in particular was an issue that he realised was wrong, but was never compelled to do something about it. None of his family were affected, and in fact benefited from the practice. He had no ability to change it, and so chose to do nothing and ignore it. He spent his time amongst other likeminded children and young adults. His early life was frankly wasteful. He cared little for studies of economics and business as Francesco would take over the running of Ventura Cider. Music was something to have played for him, not to pursue himself, and he had no talent for art. Utterly directionless, Emilio spent his free time throwing dice, playing cards and getting drunk with a few wealthy friends, while doing odds and ends for his father and the Ventura Cider company. This changed when he was twenty-four. He and his friends got into an argument. It was a bad night for him. He lost at cards, losing a significant amount of money, they were all drunk and headed to a brothel. However, when they arrived, the latent discomfort he felt at the whole system came to the surface in a rare moment of bravery. He challenged his friends' dismissive attitudes towards the women there. He was mocked for this, and a brief scuffle ensued. He lost, was thrown out, and he realised that he had wasted years of his life. After a couple of days, he approached his father and requested money to get a ship and sail, ostensibly on behalf of the company. Rafaello was pleased to see his son showing some initiative for once, and granted him the funds. Before the ship could be registered as part of the company's fleet however, Emilio hired a crew of his own and set sail aboard El Espiritu for the adventure of a lifetime. The adventure as he imagined it to be was short-lived, as his first attempted piracy put him against the Kraken, flagship of the fearsome Viciente Fang. Washing up on the shores of Na'Souri, the real adventure began. With only his first mate Erihapeti alongside him, and the rest of his crew vowing to kill him, he fought through the treacherous jungle until he came across the main city of the tribe that lived there. One night of drinking and hard drug abuse put him in the company of Princess Aka'Aka, to whom he unwittingly became a husband. Despite his best attempts to escape, she later sacrificed him to their volcano god, which proved to be a fake. This event placed him in the power of Antonio Venceslas, famed treasure hunter. Antonio was both everything Emilio wanted to be, and hated. He was charismatic, self-assured and had a cadre of followers dedicated to him. He was also arrogant and disrespectful, and wounded Emilio's pride by appointing him Ship's Comedian while Erihapeti joined Antonio's command staff (though not his harem). He nursed a terrible grudge against the man that would not be resolved until the end of the adventure. After a failed mutiny by Erihapeti, he was forced to attempt to save Antonio's hide from the wrath of Viciente Fang, who kidnapped Emilio after boarding his ship. The purpose of this was to bring someone expendable to Scathyro. The voyage to Scathyro changed his life forever. He discovered Viciente's secret that he was in fact, not a he, but Vanessa Fang. He also had his first encounter with an Eternity Construct, though he was not aware of this at the time. He officially joined the crew of the Kraken following the revelation that Vanessa was fighting to free slaves and change Calamar for the better. The seed of distaste that he had suppressed for all of his life bloomed and he became a true pirate, while making the first genuine friendships he had in his life. Only after finding the Wandering Isle and discovering the true nature of Antonio's quest did Emilio set aside his grudge, but he did ultimately kill the man. Emilio was forced to choose between Erihapeti and Antonio, and he chose to save his former crewmate and mercurial ally. After this, he threw himself fully into the business of piracy as part of the crew of the Kraken. This continued until the destruction of the Kraken off the shores of Hirokir after the return of Ulgard Greenblood, where he was forced to care for the baby Lucas Fang and fight a guerrilla campaign across the jungle nation. With only himself, the Shavhani scholar Kagami Nakamura and the Nowakan Silent Whale assassin Parakeet at his side, he sought the famous sword, Godsever. Arriving at the city of Zul'Garab, he faced an incredible amount of misfortune. His brain was infested with the eggs of a Pazadai demon, and he was forced to journey to Uum'Brox to seek a cure and enter the city. In Zul'Garab, he and Kagami were able to defeat the Calamaran captain leading negotiations with the city to join Greenblood's cause, and destroyed the Paza'Dai demon known as Emmeline. After penetrating the temple of Tuularab he died fighting the Zi'Mor champion of the city, Lazara Tamboli. Upon his death in the rejuvenating waters of the temple, he had a vision of the Spirit of Hir which deemed him worthy of returning as a champion. Lazara was gone, but Kagami lived, and Emilio had achieved undeath. This only served to spur him on to defeat Greenblood, and did eventually reunite with Vanessa after acquiring all three pieces of the legendary weapon. Emilio was one of the three key actors in the final battle against Ulgard Greenblood, duelling him with Godsever in hand for some time. His swordsmanship was ultimately lacking, and only a timely cannonblast on behalf of Kagami saved him from what may have been a final death. He managed to stay conscious long enough to manage an anguished declaration of love as Vanessa defeated Greenblood once and for all and absorbed his power, and was both overjoyed and saddened to hear she felt the same. Not long after this, she revealed herself to have not only survived the transfer of power, but controlled it and became a Goddess unto herself. They began a romance, and Emilio technically became her first devotee. After this, Emilio continued Vanessa's mortal work in challenging Calamar alongside former pirate hunter Diego Venceslas. He made a short trip to Tyrrus at Vanessa's behest to assist The Saviours as they assaulted the Blackspire to defeat Zaikerik the Betrayer. After the formal foundation of the Pirate Union, Emilio was elected Pirate Arbiter and did his best to lead the organisation. His adventuring days were not quite yet finished. At the age of forty-six, Ayla Vanderstone came to him to request his assistance with a particular task. High Admiral Sebastien Canarro was planning a scheme to make himself a God, and as the leading force against the Calamaran Empire she sought his help. He granted it enthusiastically, and after informally making her a member of the Pirate Union they took off in hot pursuit. They secured the Skyship Vanessa's Revenge and the help of the Nothindrian Captain Zyamar Sabyzish, and raced the Admiral to the Shrouded Continent. There, Emilio and Ayla almost came to their ends multiple times as they unearthed the secrets of the mysterious land. They both resolved to resurrect the ancient Vexii race if at all possible, as well as defeating Sebastien. Along the way, Lazara Tamboli returned to settle a score with Emilio. After Ayla disrupted his efforts to destroy the Vanessa's Revenge, he challenged the Pirate Arbiter to single combat. Emilio was able to disarm Lazara, avoid his magical techniques and forced the former champion to retreat, to be killed later after being captured. Despite this resounding victory, he did suffer a terrible defeat at the hands of Astrid, Master of the Spirit Storm and member of Canarro's Harpies. Later, Emilio was faced with a mirror image of himself as a brutal Pirate King in the Marshes of Time. It was a shock to the system, but he was able to reject the vision. He found himself warier of taking positions of power, but was affirmed in his conviction that he was taking the right path. He also risked losing his memories at a font of healing in the Fortress of the Timeless after being crippled in a duel with Sebastien, but fortunately lost only his memory of Ventura Cider. Despite the best efforts of Vanessa to convince him otherwise while he was unaware and impressionable, he rediscovered his love for it later. Emilio's greatest act in that adventure was facing Sebastien Canarro on on one after he defeated Ayla Vanderstone. Sebastien had ascended to Godhood, channelling the power of the Obelisk of Infinity. While Ayla worked to defeat the presence of the Unspeakable Ones in the Eternity Construct Mycozoa, Emilio faced down the new God. He matched Sebastien blow for blow and, by using a Shard of Absolution he recovered in the Marshes of Time, was able to grievously wound him. Emilio had maintained a constant campaign of psychological warfare over the course of the fight, playing on Sebastien's pride and his noble intentions. Despite all of Sebastien's power, the High Admiral failed to kill Emilio and transferred his power to Emilio, on the solemn promise to overthrow the Emperor of Calamar. So sworn, Emilio joined Ayla in the fight. He called upon Vanessa and El Espiritu during the fight, but was unable to make a dent against Sosk'th'gal. In a final effort to contain the fiend, he created a dimensional prison which detonated with Onno's sacrifice, sending Ayla spiralling through the Weird. Emilio's efforts in crafting the safe haven of Stormharbour into a colony blossomed with the approval of the surviving Vexii, Radiant and Darklings. He was offered a place on the council but refused. He made a promise to complete the reformation of Calamar, and intended to keep it. He vowed to return once his mission was complete. Emilio's current activities are unknown, though he is known to be continuing his role as Pirate Arbiter and is active in the Union. He was notably missing during the events of Shattered Depths, presumably on a visit to Stormharbour which rendered him unavailable to help. Skills and Abilities Emilio Ventura is a highly capable swordsman. He was able to duel an Ascended Sebastien Canarro as a Zi'Mor. Sebastien was already the single best warrior on the Shattered Sea, and his capabilities were only enhanced by the power of the Obelisk of Infinity. Despite lacking divine power, Emilio stood his ground and forced Sebastien to submit before his skill and more importantly, his tenacity. This raw determination and refusal to accept defeat has placed Emilio in many dangerous situations, all of which he survived save the encounter with Lazara in Tuularab. This ability to keep fighting and never give up is one of Emilio's best qualities and sees him through all of his combat encounters. Emilio favours duels against single opponents, usually in situations aboard ships, where he can take advantage of his agility and intimate knowledge of his surroundings. He is a cunning fighter and will make use of distractions and the environment in order to win his fights. He often attempts to disarm opponents to deprive them of their weapons and push them off-balance. When possible, he adopts a hit-and-run style of combat which allows him to make use of his unpredictability. By making fanciful acrobatic manoeuvres during combat, Emilio leaves apparent openings for his opponents to take which he can evade, then follow up with a surprising counterattack. He taunts his opponents where possible, disrupting their focus and forcing them to make mistakes as they are forced to deal with his needling them. He is seemingly most effective when fighting people who look down on him, as he can bait them into making a critical mistake by playing on their low expectations, or mocking them for not being able to defeat him. Emilio's way with words goes beyond his ability to get into his enemies' heads in combat. He is a persuasive and inspiring speaker, and always goes into a speech with a central message or theme in mind. Whether he is encouraging his comrades to reach new heights of greatness or challenging his enemies' motives, Emilio's voice is difficult to ignore. On the other side of the coin, Emilio is a very good judge of character. He is able to quite accurately take the measure of a person, and has a surprisingly keen eye for deception. Emilio is also a talented marksman. Despite being critically wounded on both occasions, he shot the hand off Goletta of the Harpies and fired through the deck of the Death Knell, destroying the reserve of gunpowder that he placed there to sabotage the ship. While in combat he is a swordsman first and foremost, his skill with a pistol is discounted at the peril of his enemies. His reflexes are also very sharp, to the point where he is able to parry bullets using his swords, a talent developed after years of battle on the Shattered Sea. After Vanessa's Ascension, he gained access to new magical abilities that he did not previously possess. She granted him the spirit of his old ship, El Espiritu and a ghost crew of volunteers to crew it. This is his flagship in the Pirate Union's fleet. While the ship itself is none too impressive, possessing a mere two decks of guns, the real strength is its incorporeality which provides unparalleled manoeuvring options and a flexibility of operation unavailable to most ships. As a Zi'Mor, Emilio has no need of sleep or food, and is possessed of the natural resilience held by many undead. He is not easily slain permanently, and if returned to Tuularab will be able to fully recover with little issue in the rejuvenating waters of the temple. Even outside the temple, his determination means that even amongst undead beings, he is particularly stubborn and resilient to dying. Years on the sea have fashioned Emilio into a very capable sailor, and his time in the Pirate Union has made him an adept negotiator and tactician. He is a good captain, and a reasonable statesman. While intellectual pursuits have not historically been his strong suit, he has gained more of a taste for rudimentary philosophy and political science over the years, insofar as it allows him to articulate his complaints against Calamar and other enemies. He is no expert, and mostly gets by on an instinctual understanding of what he stands for and what he opposes with his heart and soul. Trivia * Emilio is most famous for declaring himself to be The Greatest Pirate in the Shattered Sea. His attitude to this was revised upon meeting Vanessa and coming to respect her, but after her Ascension he readopted the title. ** After defeating Sebastien Canarro in single combat, he considers himself to have usurped the High Admiral's self-proclaimed title of The Greatest Sailor on the Shattered Sea. He now holds both titles. * Emilio Ventura may have encountered the most Eternity Constructs of any individual player character, namely 3. He has interacted directly with The Wandering Guardians, Anankhe and Mycozoa. ** He is also one of two to have directly observed the Astral Dragon's original form, the other being his companion of the time Ayla Vanderstone. ** Indeed, having observed the Unspeakable Ones during his time on the Shrouded Continent as well, he is strangely knowledgeable about the higher powers affecting Coryphiel. Between that, and being involved with the death of one Ascended and the creation of a second, Emilio has seen a great deal of high-tier divine and otherwise magic in his life. * The main influences in Emilio's adventuring life has been the women he has met during it. Erihapeti was his sole companion for a great deal of the hunt for the Wandering Isle, Vanessa took over that influence when he joined the crew of the Kraken. He spent his time in Hirokir in the company of Kagami Nakamura, and again on the Shrouded Continent alongside Ayla Vanderstone. ** Lucas Fang may be the exception to that rule, as being a parent to him during the adventure in Hirokir and the Shrouded Continent were formative experiences. * Emilio's name was originally taken from Emilio Barbarigo, a villain from Assassin's Creed II and Ace Ventura, the eponymous protagonist of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, portrayed by Jim Carrey. * The voice used to portray Emilio started out as a poor impression of Pedro Pascal's performance of Oberyn Martell from Game of Thrones, but has taken on a life of its own.